


Komorebi

by darkladywolf12



Category: Hakuouki, Naruto
Genre: Crossover, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27575915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkladywolf12/pseuds/darkladywolf12
Summary: "Wolf of Mibu? Don't make me laugh, Okita. Brat of Mibu seems more like it. And in particular, more like you." "Heh, no wonder you're still single, Pinky." *I don't own Naruto and/or Hakuōki*
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Okita Souji
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Komorebi

**Author's Note:**

> Other fics in my HakuōkiXSakura one-shot series:
> 
> 1\. “Fire and Silk” – (ChikageXSakura)  
> 2\. “Jasmine Blooms” – (HajimeXSakura and rated M)  
> 3\. “Halcyon Kiss” – (ToshizoXSakura)

“Pink monster.”

“Imbecile.”

“Banshee.”

“Dimwit.”

“Hellcat.”

“Oh, I’ll drag you to hell, alright.”

“No wonder you’re single.”

“Wolf of Mibu? Don’t make me laugh. Brat of Mibu seems more like it. And in particular, more like _you_.”

Hijikata sighed from inside his office, listening as the two people passed by his door, their voices fading away as they continued down the corridor.

“Were those Sakura and Souji?”

Rolling his eyes at Kodnou’s question, Toshizo snorted. “Obviously. I’m starting to doubt your decision to bring her here, Kondou.”

The man laughed heartily. “Come on, Toshi. The girl’s brilliant and she is a beast in battle. Certainly, you have noticed the significant drop in deaths these past six months she’s been here. Also, the people of Kyoto love her.”

Hijikata crossed his arms across his chest. “I’m not disregarding the numbers. And yes, her presence has certainly had a positive effect on our men’s health and our reputation, but her rivalry with Okita is concerning.”

“Concerning? How so?”

Hijikata scoffed, as if not believing he actually had to answer that question. “They are constantly at each other’s throats, Kondou. It has an effect on their teams and their work.”

Kondou laughed again, appearing untroubled. “Relax, Toshi. You know how Souji is. Give them a bit more time and everything will be just fine. You’ll see, they will be friends before you know it.”

XxxOxOxOxxX

“Haruno!”

Looking up from her cup of tea, Sakura smiled sweetly at the man walking briskly towards her with killing intent rolling off him in waves. Beside her, she faintly heard Sanosuke whisper something along the lines of “Oh, boy” under his breath but she paid him no mind.

“Okita. How may I help you?”

He glared at her, clenching a small glass bottle in his hand. “What the hell is this?”

Nonchalantly, Sakura put her cup down. “Why, I believe that’s your lung medicine, is it not?”

“What in the seven hells did you put in it?”

The woman cocked her head to the side, glancing up at him innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. That’s your usual prescription.”

Souji growled. “Don’t give me that shit. You did something to it. It tastes so bad, I barely managed to swallow a gulp of it.”

Deceivingly calm, Sakura smiled. “I assure you, I did absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. You should drink it all up, though. It’s for your own good, after all.”

“What? I’m not drinking this.”

Sakura plastered a concerned expression on her face. “Oh, that simply won’t do. As your doctor, it is my professional opinion, that you must keep taking your medicine until I’ve made completely sure that the sickness has passed.” Clapping her hands happily in front of her, the woman beamed at him. “Now, drink up! I want to make sure you take it. Go on.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Mou, Okita, you’re not helping me at all here. What would Kondou-san think?”

Souji gritted his teeth, clenching and unclenching his fist as if contemplating throwing the offending object at her. Resigning himself to his fate, he uncorked the bottle with his teeth and took a shaky breath.

Raising the bottle to his lips, he hesitated for just a moment, before downing the contents at once.

Subtly, Sakura raised an eyebrow. _Won’t you look at that... That thing tastes worse than my soldier pills and yet, he drank it._ Had this been any other man, she would have been impressed.

Souji started to cough, gagging as the medicine’s horrible taste assaulted his tongue, and Sakura almost felt sorry for him. It took him a few seconds to regain his composure and when he did, he pinned her with a murderous look.

“You’ll pay for this, Pinky.”

Giggling prettily, Sakura wiggled her fingers at him as he left. “Have a nice day too, Okita.”

She sipped her tea calmly, the picture of perfect relaxation, as she listened to the man’s angry steps disappear down the corridor.

Throwing an arm around her shoulders in his usual overly friendly manner, her companion chuckled. “Huh, you’re one conniving woman, Sakura.”

Turning to Sanosuke, the medic smirked. “Watch and learn, Harada. Watch and learn.”

XxxOxOxOxxX

“Yo, Sakura-chan! Come, sit with us!”

Sakura smiled at Nagakura’s enthusiastic greeting, waving at him from the kitchen’s door. “Let me help Chizuru-chan with the food, Shinpachi, and I’ll be right over.”

“Heh, trying to poison us with your cooking, Pinky?”

The smile slipped from the woman’s face and she scowled. “I don’t need poison to deal with the likes of you, Okita. I can simply put my hands around your neck and squeeze until you turn a lovely shade of blue.”

The man leaned back against the wall of the meal hall, smirking smugly. “Admit it, banshee. You’re just looking for an excuse to touch me.”

“Souji, the moment I willingly choose to touch you outside of treatment will be to sever your carotid artery, so keep an eye out for that.”

Feeling someone patting her head, Sakura looked up to see Sanosuke grinning wolfishly down at her. “I mean, you can touch me anytime you want, Haruno. I have magical fingers and I’m open to suggestions.”

Rolling her eyes but completely aware that Sanosuke was just being his usual teasing self, the woman nudged him playfully with her hip. “In your dreams, Harada.”

“Well, in my dreams we actually do a lot more than just touching-”

Before he could finish that sentence, Sakura elbowed him in the ribs, earning a pained ‘ow’ from the man. “Stop it, you incorrigible flirt.”

From his place at the table, Shinpachi nearly choked on his drink. He guffawed loudly, slapping his hand on his knee. “Oh man, you guys are so going to get it. I put my money on Sakura-chan wringing you up by the balls one of these days.”

“Why, thank you, Shinpachi. That’s so nice of you to say.” Turning to Souji, she smiled smugly at him, mirroring his expression from before. “I’d take my chances with that poison, Okita. Sounds less painful.”

Winking at him, she flicked her long locks over her shoulder and disappeared in the kitchen, leaving a scowling Souji following her form with his eyes.

XxxOxOxOxxX

“Pinky, there is no one in that outbuilding. We just need to search it for the heck of it. There is absolutely no reason for you to be there.”

Pinching the bridge of her nose to avoid the headache she knew was coming, Sakura huffed. “Okita, you have no idea what or who could be hiding in there.”

The man put a hand on the hilt of his sword, completely disregarding her. “Our informant is trustworthy.”

Throwing her hands in the air, the woman let out a yelp of indignation. “Your informant could be wrong. He could be compromised. He could be double crossing you, you brat! My way is more efficient and less dangerous.”

“Your way will slow us down.”

“Souji, if you tell me that we can’t do this one more time, I’m going to kick you somewhere you’re not going to enjoy.”

The man crossed his arms across his chest with a scowl. “Pinky, I’m the captain here. You’re not coming with us.”

Sakura gritted her teeth. “Okita, I’m the medic here. I’m coming.”

“Not a chance. You’re only going to slow us down. I can’t have my men babysitting you while we search the rebel hideout.”

“You did not just say that.” Clenching her first, Sakura turned around and went to walk out of the meeting room. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she narrowed her eyes. “Keep me updated on the number of dead, Okita. I’m sure you’ll count plenty.”

She slammed the door behind her, leaving Heisuke and Nagakura glancing at each other uneasily.

“Um, Souji, perhaps we should have listened to Sakura-chan’s suggestion-”

“Shut up, Todou.”

XxxxX

From the moment they stepped foot in that outbuilding, it became glaringly apparent that something was off. It was too quiet, too tidied up and clean for a supposedly abandoned barn on the outskirts of Kyoto that had not been used in more than a year.

The hairs at the back of his neck stood, as an ugly feeling of foreboding settled over him.

_Something’s off…_

“Um, guys, don’t you think this is kind of weird?”

“Be quiet, Todou.”

“Todou’s right, Okita. We need to call for backup-”

Nagakura never quite got to finish his sentence as rebel soldiers suddenly started flooding the barn, swords drawn. They could already hear the sounds of battle from outside, as the men from their divisions engaged with the ronin, though if the number of enemy soldiers currently closing them in was any indication, they were severely outnumbered.

Souji’s eyes narrowed. _Shit…_

The rebels made the first move, and all hell broke loose when the first of them fell under Nagakura’s sword. The men they had with them inside the outbuilding were few and clearly overwhelmed, and Souji caught himself uncharacteristically wishing he had heeded that hellcat’s warning.

Tearing his thoughts away from what he could have done differently, he focused his attention on getting his subordinates out of there alive and as unscathed as possible. In the back of his mind, a little voice told him that even if they did manage to get out of there with their heads on their shoulders, the blood of many good men would be on his hands, but he pushed it out of his mind. If he did not drown on his own blood from a sword in his gut, he could drown in his guilt later.

Souji gritted his teeth as he watched the ronin surrounding them with a calculating gaze. In the corner of his eye, he took note of Nagakura and Todou struggling to hold their ground against an enemy force nearly thrice as large as theirs.

_Damn it. We need to turn the tables fast or else-_

Something above their heads cracked and out of nowhere, a part of the roof collapsed, giving them just barely enough time to jump out of the way of the falling wooden boards.

Even more curious was the shadow that fell over the hole and suddenly, someone jumped down, landing expertly on their feet between them and the ronin.

Beside him, Todou gasped. “Sakura-chan!”

The woman glanced at them over her shoulder, offering them a grin and a two-finger salute. “Yo!”

Souji stared at her for a moment stunned, before shaking himself back to reality. “What the hell are you doing here, Pinky?”

Taking one of her strange knives out of her pouch, she fell into a battle stance. “What does it look like? I’m saving your ass, Okita.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re still surrounded.”

“Good!” she said chirpily, her demeanor contrasting terribly with the situation they were in. “That just means we can attack in any direction!”

Haruno – with her ridiculous pink ponytail that was too long to be practical and her hellish green eyes that glowed unnaturally – jumped into battle without a moment’s hesitation. She angled her body with the grace of a warrior confident in her abilities, and it took Nagakura’s dive into the fray with newfound fervor to snap Souji out of his daze.

Not wasting another minute, he brandished his sword and followed his comrades, feeling the sudden urge to fight harder than he had ever fought before. No matter what he did, his eyes kept straying to the woman, who seemed to be cutting through their enemies’ numbers with practiced ease, taking on men three times her size and taking them down effortlessly.

_That damn hellcat…_

It took them no more than twenty minutes to clear the inside of the outbuilding, and he was relieved to see that despite a few losses, most of their men were still standing.

“Pinky-”

She held up her hand, silencing him as she reached for the door. “Not now, Okita. You can bite my ear off or whatever later, but we have to take care of the wounded now.” Glancing at Todou and Nagakura over her shoulder, she motioned to the soldiers around them. “Check on them and bring them outside. Okita and I will take care of any rebels still standing. Chop chop, Souji! We don’t have all day.”

The two men immediately got to work and despite the whole slew of curses that rose to his lips, Souji kept his mouth shut and followed her out of the building.

The scene they were met with was even more disturbing than back inside. The ground was red, dyed by the scarlet rivers seeping from the bodies of fallen men. Though no stranger to gruesome battles, Souji’s stomach turned at the sight of some of his men’s corpses.

_I…I could have saved them. Had I made the right decision…_

“Souji! Watch out!”

Haruno’s yell was all the warning he got, and it was only due to his honed instincts that he managed to avoid the blade aiming for his throat. Raising his sword to block another swing, he glanced briefly at the woman, before refocusing his attention on the three ronin.

“Start tending to the injured, Pinky. I’ll take care of these bastards.”

He didn’t see her, but she nodded resolutely, her hands already alight with their telltale green glow.

It took him less than ten minutes to finish off the remaining three ronin, but by the time he turned around to see what was going on, Pinky was already giving Nagakura and Todou instructions on how to make makeshift slings.

He sheathed his sword and jogged over to them. “Are you two alright?” he asked, addressing the two captains.

“Just peachy! Where do I put this one, Sakura-chan?”

Without looking up from her patient, Sakura motioned to a man propped against the door of the barn. “Use it to support his arm. He sprained his wrist but it’s nothing some proper rest and nutrition won’t heal.”

That could not be said for the man she was working on. From what Souji could see, his whole side was open, gushing blood, and he was having difficulty breathing.

Kneeling down beside him, he glanced at the medic. “How is he?”

Pinky’s eyes flickered to him, before returning to the injury just beneath her glowing hands. “The blade that stabbed his side reached deep enough to puncture his lung. That’s the first thing I need to fix. Lung tissue takes longer to regenerate so unless I want his body to go into shock and collapse, I need to fill his body with healing chakra and wait until it reconstructs. It’s not a very quick process, but it will save his life.”

Souji hummed in agreement, though there was little he could offer to help. Healing was not his field of expertise, and his knowledge of medicine could be narrowed down to herbal teas and hot waters.

“Souji…”

Her voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he raised his eyes to hers – green, but so, so different – to find her examining his face.

_Is that…Is that concern?_

“Are you…Are you alright?” she asked, her voice soft, and he chalked it up to her not wanting to disturb her patient.

“I’m fine, Pinky. Don’t mind me.”

She took a few seconds to herself, as if choosing her words carefully, and glanced at him from under her lashes. “You know this was not your fault, right? It wasn’t something you could control.”

Souji tensed immediately, his fist clenching. “It’s none of your business, Pinky.”

She chuckled, and Souji was momentarily stunned by how decisively sad it sounded to his ears.

“Believe it or not, I know what it’s like to fail people that put their faith in you. The guilt makes a home for itself in your gut, and it eats you from the inside out. But Souji,” she said, tentatively touching his hand with two of her fingers, “none of this was your fault. The informant was compromised; I know what I said before but you couldn’t have known, none of us could. Some things you just can’t predict, no matter how skilled or smart you are. The brave men that lost their lives today died doing their duty. What killed them was their dedication to doing the right thing, not you. Don’t strip them of their honor by so unfairly blaming yourself.”

Abruptly, Souji stood, as if her touch had burned him.

Wordlessly, he turned around and walked away.

XxxxX

When Sakura woke up, it took her a couple of minutes to realize that she was in a room she recognized, and not outside the rebels’ hideout.

_What…What happened?_

Straining to sit up, she groaned when light assaulted her sensitive eyes, forcing her to close them. She raised two glowing fingers to her temple and rubbed it, sighing in relief when she felt her throbbing headache lessening.

Looking around, she realized that she was in her room back at headquarters.

_How…How did I get here?_

The last thing she could remember was working on a soldier’s multiple leg fractures and then…darkness. Throwing the covers off her, she made to stand only to be stopped by someone’s voice.

“Sakura-chan! What are you doing? Don’t get up!”

“Todou?”

The young man beamed at her as he walked in the room holding a tray of breakfast and tea. Setting it down on her desk, he pushed her back and helped her get comfortable.

“How are you feeling, Sakura-chan?” he asked, taking the tray, and placing it on her lap.

She smiled at him thankfully as the smell of green tea and jasmine reached her nose. “I’m fine, Heisuke. Just a little tired, but nothing some food and a good night’s sleep won’t cure. Are you guys ok?”

Sitting at her bedside, he waved her off with a grin. “Don’t worry about us, Sakura-chan. We’re just peachy! You’re the one who collapsed out of nowhere.”

Scratching the back of her head awkwardly, Sakura blushed. “Sorry about that. I tend to forget my limits sometimes. Are our men alright?”

“They are fine, don’t worry. You intervened just in time to save their lives.”

Looking down at her cup, the young medic sighed in relief. “That’s good to know. Thank you, Heisuke. For everything.”

He tilted his head to the side curiously. “Huh? What are you thanking me for? Making you breakfast was no trouble at all, Sakura-chan.” He stood, stretching his arms above his head. “I need to go on my patrols now, but I’ll come check on you later. You eat up and rest, alright?”

The woman smiled as he watched him slide her door open, touched by his concern. “You’re a priceless friend, Heisuke. Thank you for taking care of me and bringing me back here.”

Todou’s eyes widened slightly, and he turned to look at her strangely. “But, Sakura-chan, I wasn’t the one who carried you back.”

“Eh? Who did?”

“Souji.”

Sakura’s eyebrow shot to her hairline. “Souji? ‘I-hate-you-and-your-ridiculous-hair-you-pink-monster’ Souji?”

Heisuke threw his head back and laughed. “He was the one to find you unconscious, Sakura-chan. He was worried, ya know.”

“He was?”

“Yeah! He insisted on being the one to carry you back.”

“He did?”

Still chuckling, Heisuke winked at her. “Okita’s not that bad. Just give him a chance and you’ll see. Well, I’m off. See you later, Sakura-chan!”

He slid the door shut behind him, leaving Sakura alone with her thoughts.

_Souji…_

XxxOxOxOxxX

“Oh damn! You win again, Sakura-chan!”

Leaning back, Sakura beamed at the man as they sat in the gardens, enjoying the sun. “Heh, don’t feel bad, Nagakura. I’ve been playing shogi my whole life. Not to mention, one of my closest friends back home is the undisputed shogi champion. I’ve had plenty of practice.”

From his place on the grass, Sanosuke snickered. “She’s just being polite, Nagakura. What she means is that you’re a loser.”

“Shut up, Harada!”

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the red-haired captain. “I seem to recall that you lost too.”

Sanosuke smirked at her playfully. “I don’t need to win a board game, Sakura. I have a silver tongue fit for all kinds of tasks. A very skilled one at that. Just say the word and I’ll demonstrate.”

“Oi, don’t talk to Sakura-chan like that, you lecher!”

Patting Nagakura’s arm to placate him, the woman smiled. “Don’t get so worked up, Shinpachi. I know my way around hopeless flirts,” she said, remembering Kankuro and his short, albeit intense, infatuation with her. “After all, that has to be one of the worst pickup lines I’ve ever heard.”

“The worst? You wound me, Sakura. That one has never failed me before.”

Twirling a lock of her rosy hair between her fingers, the medic batted her eyelashes at him. “Well, there’s a first time for everything, Harada.”

Propping himself up on one arm, he let his eyes sweep her over. “You think, eh?” Then, a roguish smirk split his lips. “Go on. I do so enjoy a challenge.”

Sakura chuckled, rolling her eyes. “You enjoy anything with legs, Harada.”

“Not quite. Yours just happen to be a right temptation, doctor Haruno.”

Unable to hold herself, Sakura burst out laughing. “Kami, Sanosuke. That mouth of yours is going to get you in so much trouble one day.”

“Ah, the best kind of trouble-”

“Sakura-chan!”

All three of them turned at the sound of the voice, and Sakura frowned deeply when she saw the distressed expression on the young man’s face.

“Heisuke? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Okita!”

Feeling her stomach drop, she jumped to her feet and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Souji? What happened to Souji, Todou?”

“He’s hurt. He needs you!”

“Where is he?”

“We moved him to his room.”

Without as much as a second look at the other men, Sakura took off towards the captains’ living quarters. People called out to her as she went but she paid them little mind, picking up her pace and making it to Okita’s room in record time.

When she burst in through the door, she found Saito standing over him. “Hajime! What the hell happened?” she demanded, pushing her sleeves up and falling to her knees beside Okita. His face was hot to the touch, and his hair stuck to his sweaty forehead.

“A merchant’s carriage horse got out of control in the middle of the street. Okita dove in front of it to push a mother and her child out of the way, but the horse’s hoof came down on his arm as he was rolling out of the way.”

_Oh, Souji…_

She didn’t need to take a second look to know what was wrong. His left arm was a mess of blood and torn muscle with half of his humerus bone sticking out of his flesh.

_Damn._

Getting to work immediately, Sakura rummaged through her pouch and pulled out two syringes. Uncapping them with her teeth, she wasted no time in injecting his arm with both.

“What are those?”

She didn’t spare Hajime a glance. “A sedative and a potent painkiller. I can’t have him completely asleep right now. He needs to maintain some sensitivity to pain, otherwise his nerve endings might be destroyed as chakra passes through them to heal them. I have the control to prevent that, but your bodies are not used to chakra.”

“Is there anything I can do, Haruno?”

“Please fetch some clean water, rags, and bandages, Hajime-kun. I’m gonna need them for after I’ve closed the wound.”

“Consider it done.”

Alone in the room, Sakura allowed herself to frown in worry. “Damn it, Souji,” she cursed, examining his arm. “I’m sorry, Okita. This is going to hurt, but I’ll make you all better in just a moment, alright?”

Picking up his broker arm carefully, she sent him an apologetic look that he didn’t quite resister and inwardly counted down to one.

A strangled scream of agony slipped past his lips as she set the bone in place, making her stomach lurch. It was a painful sound that she had heard numerous times before, but it was somehow unsettling to hear it from Okita. He always seemed so unapproachable, so sarcastic. Seeing him so vulnerable had her insides twisting unpleasantly.

“Hey now. I got you. I got you, Souji.”

Hands aglow with green light, she pressed them to his arm, hoping that both the sedative and the painkiller would kick in soon enough and relieve him.

“A-Are you…”

“Huh? Souji? Can you hear me?” His eyes were half-lidded, and he didn’t appear aware of what was going on around him.

“A-Are you an angel?”

Sakura’s eyebrow shot to her hairline at his words, and she found herself at a loss. “It’s me Sakura, Okita. You know, the pink monster? The hellcat?”

She saw his brow furrow. “Hell? Why…Why would a beautiful angel be in hell?”

Despite the situation, Sakura felt her cheeks grow hot, and she scrambled to occupy herself with pouring more chakra into his arm. Reconstructing bones was one of the more complicated procedures and she couldn’t let Souji or his reaction to the drugs in his system distract her.

_Get a grip, Sakura. The man’s obviously delirious from the pain. The sedative must be kicking in too. Yes, that’s it._

Sighing in relief, she felt herself relax. _Yes, that’s exactly it._

Still, for the next few hours, her eyes kept straying to Souji’s face and despite her valiant efforts, she didn’t quite manage to get his words out of her head.

XxxxX

When Souji woke, it was to a dull ache in his left arm and something heavy on his chest.

_Where…Where the hell am I?_

It was dark outside, but a pair of lanterns provided some light, and as he examined his surroundings, he could immediately tell that he was back in his bedroom.

_The carriage…and that kid…I was hit._

He tried to move his arm, but he found it tied and secured in a sling made of fabric and thin pieces of sturdy wood. The more his vision cleared, the more details he could see, the most glaring of them being the head of pink hair resting on his chest.

_Huh…? Pinky?_

Her even breathing instantly let him know that she was sleeping. Half covered by the curtain of annoyingly long locks fanning out across his torso, her face looked troubled. It was an expression she often wore around him, but he couldn’t help but wonder if this time was different and that little crease between her brows was one of worry.

Unable to resist a sudden urge, he raised his good arm, and twirled a thick lock of pink hair in his hand, watching it as it slipped through his fingers like rivulets of fragrant flower petals. Noticing the direction of his thoughts, he immediately dropped it.

The movement caused her to stir, and within seconds Souji found himself staring into a pair of half-lidded emerald eyes.

“Oi, Pinky. Get up. You’re heavy.”

Her eyes widened slightly as she slowly came to the realization that he was awake, and she jumped to her feet instantly. “Souji! Are you alright? Does your arm hurt? Do you need me to bring you anything?”

He scowled, trying hard to erase his little moment of weakness from his mind. “Cease your yapping, woman. You’re giving me a headache.”

Completely ignoring his jab, Sakura immediately pressed her glowing hands to his arm, and it would be a lie to say that the pain didn’t lessen. A wave of relief washed over him, though he kept it hidden behind a scoff.

_This woman has messed with my head enough as it is._

He remained silent as she worked, but in the corner of his eye he watched her expressions shift. She wasn’t hard to read, and he could usually tell what she was thinking just by closely watching the way her face changed. Like the way her neck and ears flushed when she was embarrassed, or the way her pink brows drew together when she glared at him, or the way her cheeks reddened whenever that idiot Harada made a suggestive comment.

_What the hell are you thinking, Okita? Get a grip!_

“That’s enough, Pinky. I’m fine.”

She turned to look at him, the light around her hands casting unearthly shadows on her face. Somehow, her eyes seemed to glow a brighter, otherworldly green.

“Only a few hours ago I had to put your bloody bone back inside your arm and painstakingly restore it to perfect condition. I’ll be the judge of what’s enough, so shut up and let me do my job, Okita.”

Under any other circumstances, he would have talked back, but something in her voice stopped him. Her words lacked their usual bite. She sounded honestly worried and that threw Souji off. They weren’t friends; not by any means. Not the way she and Harada and Nagakura and Todou were. They barely counted as comrades and even then, he knew that Hijikata had a lot to say about their teamwork. So, why was she suddenly so concerned?

 _And why do you suddenly care, Okita?_ He scowled at his own thoughts.

When the room grew dimmer, he realized without looking that the light had gone out from around her hands. Still, he didn’t turn to face her. He knew what he’d find, and he just didn’t want to see the genuine concern on her face. Brash and temperamental Sakura he could handle; he knew her. He knew which buttons to push to get a reaction out of her, he knew exactly what to say to make that angry flush color her neck.

But he had no idea how to deal with this Sakura; with concerned, caring, _gentle_ Sakura.

As if to prove his point, she patted his arm comfortingly and smiled at him. “There, all good. It will be sore for a few days so make sure to rest and not put too much pressure on it. The bone has mended nicely, and it should be back to full function in a couple of days.”

_Why are you smiling? Stop smiling at me like that, Pinky._

Not trusting himself not to say something foolish, he simply nodded.

Seemingly pleased, she stood and stretched her arms above her head, giving him an excellent view of her arching back and the curves of her hips.

“Well, there’s nothing to worry about, so rest easy. You’ll feel a lot better after a good night’s sleep, so I’ll leave you to it. Goodnight, Souji.”

She was ready to slide the door open, when the words tumbled out of his mouth.

“Haruno?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

She seemed stunned for a moment, but then she smiled – a brilliant smile that lit up her face and made her eyes sparkle like lantern fires.

“It’s my pleasure.”

And he believed her.

XxxOxOxOxxX

Sighing contently, Sakura allowed herself to sink deeper in the warm water of the outside tub. While not exactly her first choice of bathing arrangement, the backyard bath was all she had at hand and she had every intention of making the most of it.

She couldn’t really expect an organization of men to have women’s onsen readily available, so she was simply thankful for the large wooden tub and the relative privacy the small secluded backyard of the Yagi residence offered.

After all, it was well past midnight, everyone was fast asleep, and the open bath gifted her with a wonderful view of the night sky. It wasn’t everyday she got the chance to stargaze while relaxing in hot waters, so she meant to enjoy it.

Supporting herself on the rim of the tub, she leaned her head back, tracing the constellations with her gaze. The water rippled in the light breeze, but it felt pleasant on her skin.

_Ah, the world could end, and I’d die happy like this…_

Her eyelids started to drop, and the thought that it’d be better if she got out of the water and returned to her room for the night crossed her mind fleetingly, but she was just so damn comfortable-

Footsteps caused her eyes to snap open, and she immediately turned around to survey the surrounding area. Realizing that she had no weapons on her person, she cursed inwardly.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!”

“Pinky?”

Sakura blinked. “Souji?”

“What are you doing here, Haruno?” The man’s form became visible as he emerged from the shadows, dressed in a light gray yukata. With his injury still only a couple of days old, his arm was still in the sling.

“What does it look like, Okita? I’m taking a bath.”

“Yeah, well, I’m here to take a bath too so get your ass out of there. I’m not sharing.”

Huffing indignantly, Sakura tightened the sash of her thin bathing robe around her body and stood. “Like hell I’d share with you.”

She climbed out of the bath, and walked further away to wring as much water as she could out of her hair before heading back to her room. She was ready to leave when she heard a grunt of pain and turned to see Souji standing inside the makeshift tub and struggling to slip his hand out of his sleeve.

_Damn…You can’t leave him alone, Saks. What if he hurts himself? You’re a doctor. You took an oath, for heaven’s sake._

She bit her lip, unsure, but then she sighed, knowing perfectly well that she could not in good conscience leave him like that two days after a major surgery.

Taking a deep breath, she took a few tentative steps towards him. “Hey, Okita. Need any help?”

He glanced at her over his shoulder. “I’m fine. Go back to your room, Pinky.”

Rolling her eyes, she moved to his side and took hold of his left arm. “Let me. I can’t have you ruining my hard work like that.”

“I said I’m fine-”

“Bullshit. I’m a bloody medic. Hell, I’ve had enough of my own bones broken to know what it takes to heal them.” She sent him a pointed look. “Let me help you. I promise to keep this between us. Can’t have the others knowing you accepted help from the pink monster, right?” She flashed him a smile and averted her gaze quickly enough to completely miss his frown.

She climbed in the tub with him and carefully slipped his left arm out of the sleeve before doing the same for his other arm too. The upper part of his yukata fell from his shoulders, floating around his waist.

“Your job’s done. You can go now.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Not a chance, Souji. How the hell are you going to wash with that sling? What if you slip and fall while trying to get out? I’m not going anywhere.”

“Pinky, I’m not asking for your help.”

“Okita, it’s not up to you to decide.”

Not willing to leave him any room to protest, the woman stepped behind him and reached up for the chord securing his bun. He did not move as she pulled it, leaving his reddish-brown locks free around his shoulders.

Wordlessly, she reached for the bucket, bar of soap and washing rag hanging on a nail just within reach. “Close your eyes,” she instructed softly, filling the bucket with water, and tipping it over his head slowly.

She rubbed the bar of soap between her fingers, and gently nudged the man’s head down to her level. She started lathering his hair, massaging his scalp gently, and a small smile touched her lips when she heard him sigh. He kneeled in the tub in front of her to make it easier for her to reach him and for that she was thankful. Despite being on his knees, Souji’s head still came up to her chest.

She used the bucket to rinse his hair and took hold of the washcloth. Soaking it and rubbing the bar of soap all over it, she breathed deeply. Hesitantly, she touched it to his back, watching for his reaction. When he did not move, she started wiping his skin, running the rag all over the expanse of his broad shoulders.

She made sure to avoid eye contact as she moved in front of him and started washing his neck and collarbone. Still, her eyes couldn’t help but follow the droplets of water as they traveled down his chiseled chest. Despite his crash manners, and uncontrollable mouth, Souji truly was a handsome man.

_What the hell are you doing, Sakura…_

Feeling her cheeks grow hot, she focused on her task, desperate to push the images assaulting her mind aside. Okita’s uncharacteristic silence wasn’t helping either. She dared a glance at him from under her lashes.

His dripping hair stuck to his forehead, falling in front of his face, but she could still see his eyes – forest green and too smart for his own good – watching her closely. She just barely kept herself from squirming under the scrutiny of his penetrating gaze. She had always been a self-conscious person, but it hit her like a ton of bricks that it was the middle of the night and she was alone in the bath with a half-naked Souji while wearing nothing but a thin, crème-colored bathrobe that clung to her body like a second skin.

_Breathe, Sakura. Just breathe-_

Wet as it was and due to her own thoughts distracting her, the washcloth slipped from her fingers. She felt Souji’s breathing hitch when her nails grazed his chest, and his hand immediately shot out to grab her wrist. His touch felt hot on her skin, and she flushed to the roots of her hair.

“I think that’s enough, Pinky,” he said, though for some reason his voice sounded strained. “Unless you want to go lower, that is. You won’t hear me complaining.”

His cat-like grin brought her back to reality, and she glared at him. “And here I was trying to be nice to you. Jerk.”

Leaning back against the tub, he smirked at her. “Being nice? Don’t know. It seemed more like you were trying to cop a feel.”

Huffing in annoyance, Sakura climbed out of the bath, not bothering to wring her hair out this time. “You know what? You can drown for all I care.”

Souji glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyes sweeping her form. “Go back to your room, Pinky. We wouldn’t want you to catch a cold, would we? Nice legs, by the way.”

Blushing furiously, Sakura picked up the dripping skirt of her yukata and turned around, determined not to let him see the effect he had on her.

Still, she would swear she felt a pair of eyes following her until she disappeared around the corner.

XxxOxOxOxxX

_‘Crash!’_

Hijikata raised his eyes from the papers strewn all over his desk at the sound of the loud noise.

_‘Bang!’_

“What in the world-”

_‘Thud!’_

He stood and walked briskly to his door, sliding it open with a frown. “Oi, what the hell is going on-”

“Haruno! Get back here right this instant!”

“Bite me, you twat!”

Hijikata stared befuddled as a pissed-off looking Souji chased an equally as annoyed Sakura down the corridor. Even after their figures disappeared around the corner, yelling still reached his ears.

Sighing deeply, Toshizo slid the door shut. “I did not sign up for this.”

XxxxX

Sakura huffed angrily as she continued to walk towards her room, completely ignoring the man following close behind.

“Pinky! I’m not done with you!”

“Oh, Souji, I don’t have enough middle fingers to let you know how much I don’t care,” she yelled back, opening the door of her room roughly.

“Say that again.” He walked inside her room confidently, slamming the door closed behind him.

Turning to face him, Sakura glared and took a challenging step forward. “Do I get bonus points if I act like I care, Captain Okita?”

With his eyes narrowed to slits, Souji scowled. “Take another step, and I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”

“Frankly, Okita,” she bit out, taking another step towards him, “I don’t give a damn.”

A low growl erupted in the back of Souji’s throat as he closed the distance between them and slammed her against the wall. Trapping her body with his, chests pressing close together, Okita stared down at the woman through half-lidded green eyes.

“Are you sure you still don’t give a damn, Pinky?”

Sakura held his gaze for a few seconds before she burst out laughing and hugged his neck. “Do you think they bought it?”

“Of course they did. They are all morons.”

She chuckled breathlessly. “I think Harada knows or at least suspects.”

Souji rolled his eyes. “Is that why the idiot keeps asking you to go on patrols alone with him? Just to piss me off?”

She rose to her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Obviously.”

“Heh, you missed.”

“What-”

He slammed his mouth to hers, his hands gripping her waist tightly. Her lips parted almost immediately, allowing him to taste her to his heart’s content. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she pulled him to her and felt him growl possessively in her mouth. He knew how she liked to be kissed and she knew his kisses. She knew what it meant when his lips brushed hers lightly, and she knew what it meant when he devoured her mouth like he was currently doing. Souji was giving himself to his wilder side and she had every intention of giving herself to that part of him too.

She raked her fingers through his hair as he nipped and sucked at her skin in that particular way he knew drove her crazy, and she moaned. “Souji…”

“I turned out liking you a lot more than I originally planned, hellcat,” he spoke tenderly in the crook of her neck while pulling her uniform open, his fingers brushing over the heated skin of her cleavage.

The woman chuckled breathlessly, arching her body into his. “Please tell me, why do I still love you even though I know you’re a total asshole?”

“Because I’m hot as hell.” Souji smirked smugly, looking at her with so much heat and affection in his eyes she nearly melted on the spot. “After all, who else other than me is fit to love a banshee like you?”

“Screw you, Okita,” she answered back cheekily, sliding his haori open, and running her hands over his bare chest and shoulders.

“Huh,” he hummed, grinding his hips into hers to show her exactly what she was doing to him. “I’d rather screw you, Haruno.”

Sakura moaned, loosening the sash holding his clothes together. “Who’s stopping you?”

He kissed her, biting her lower lip affectionately, and digging his fingers in the flesh of her thighs. “You’re mine and I’m keeping you forever, you enormously stubborn pain in the ass.”

Sakura smiled brilliantly, eyes brimming with tenderness as she leaned in to press a loving kiss to his lips. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

**The End**


End file.
